In a little more than two weeks it will be a bit more expensive to visit Grand Canyon National Park and to spend a night or more in the backcountry, as higher fees are being implemented. At the same time, the park is doing away with its "Frequent Hiker Membership" program.

At first glance, this looks like just another book about rafting in the Grand Canyon and its rapids. It can be, after all, a life-changing experience and people just want feel compelled to write about it. But Gaylord Stavely was not only one of the first people to raft the river; he was there when the entire river-running industry was born, knows all of the history behind the places, and the eccentric people who yearned for the freedom of the river.

Climbers with an eye on some of the peaks in Denali National Park and Preserve have a great tool just a few clicks away to check on the latest conditions.

A wildfire complex ignited by lightning strikes at Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida has spread to more than 4,000 acres, with only about 20 percent of the fires contained, according to park officials.